


Save You

by SmokeMonsterSyd



Category: Rizzoli & Isles
Genre: Drowning, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-06-28 06:58:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15702159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmokeMonsterSyd/pseuds/SmokeMonsterSyd
Summary: An AU in which Jane and Maura meet at a pool.The lifeguard AU no one asked for!





	1. Chapter 1

Two minutes. That's all it took. 

 

Jane got down from the stand for two minutes to go to the bathroom and relieve herself of the pain in her bladder that has been ongoing for an hour. There was no one in the pool, her boss wasn't nearby, so she figured go now while you have the chance. Many months of being a lifeguard has trained her how to go to the bathroom in a one piece in two minutes flat, without having to take the whole thing off and take up more time. She really wasn't away from her post for that long, but I guess every minute counts.

 

She hears a faint splash halfway through her business and she thinks oh shit. Then she hears even more splashing followed by ragged breathing and she finds herself sprinting into action. She runs out onto the deck and there she is, a young girl, her blonde hair darkened by the press of the water. She can't be any less than 17 years old, but here she is, sinking down below the 10 feet deep water, her eyes wide as she looks up at Jane but stays completely still. 

 

Jane grunts angrily as she pulls the strap of the lifeguard tube over her head and jumps in the water. She has trained for this, for years, and this is her first time ever actually rescuing someone. And she's pissed more than afraid. Her long body floats down behind the girl that she doesn't recognize and executes her submerged victim rescue almost perfectly. She wraps an arm around her breasts and pulls on the strap of the tube until they both break the surface of the water. The girl in her arms gasps for breath as she pushes the tube behind her back and pulls her over to the wall of the pool. 

 

Jane jumps out of the water easily before pulling the girl up onto the deck and making sure she is awake and breathing. Terrified hazel eyes stare up at her as she tries to catch her breath. Seeing that she is safe, Jane finally speaks.

 

“What the fuck were you thinking?!”

 

The girl opens her mouth as if to speak, but Jane doesnt let her. 

 

“Why would you just get in the water if you can't swim and I'm not here? And don't you know there is protocol?? You're supposed to sign in and give me a pass before you can even use the pool. Why would you just jump--”

 

“I’m sorry, I thought I could do it,” the girl says, and she sounds close to tears.

 

“You thought you could swim in the 10 feet when you don't know how to swim at all???”

 

“I know the concept of swimming, I've read about it--”

 

“You can't learn to swim from a book!”

 

This time the girl actually starts crying. “I know, I'm sorry.”

 

The anger dissipates almost immediately, and suddenly Jane feels horrible. 

 

“Hey, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for yelling, please stop crying.”

 

The girl presses her hands to her face as she lies on the hot sun deck, her body convulsing gently with loud sobs.

 

“Hey, I'm sorry, you're okay, it's okay, I'm not mad I was just worried--”

 

Suddenly the girl launches herself upwords and latches onto Jane, sobbing into her wet shoulder and holding on tight. Jane holds her in her strong arms, rubbing her back gently. 

 

“You're okay--”

 

“I was so scared--”

 

“I know, sweetie, I know.”

 

Eventually Jane feels her body stop shaking, and the girl squeezes just a bit tighter before letting go. She wipes at her tears and avoids Jane's gaze, and it's only now that Jane realizes she's actually one of the most beautiful girls she has ever seen. 

 

“I shouldn't have yelled at you. I'm sorry.”

 

She sniffs and looks down at Jane’s chest and Jane wonders why she is looking down there, until she remembers she's wearing a name tag. 

 

“That's alright, Jane.”

 

“What's your name? I'm technically supposed to ask that before, but…”

 

The girl laughs and Jane finds that she likes the sound it makes a little too much.

 

“Maura.”

 

“Did you just move here, Maura? Because I know most of the residents here and I've never seen you before.”

 

Maura nods. “It's my first apartment. My parents helped me get it.”

 

“Well Maura, I'll tell you what, to make up for how I treated you… I'll teach you how to swim.”

 

Her smile goes wide and her eyes sparkle a bit in the sunlight. 

 

“Really? You would do that for me?”

 

“Yeah, I mean, someone has to, I'm not gonna be around to save you at every pool.”

 

They both chuckle at Jane's joke before standing up off the ground. Jane can't help but look at Maura’s body in her very small bikini. While the girl seems slightly nerdy, there is this odd sense that she is very comfortable in her nerdy skin. Jane realizes she's staring and looks back up at her face instead. Her blonde hair is plastered to her round cheeks which are glowing rosey from the sunlight, and her eyes are so beautiful, a mix of brown and green, like the earth. 

 

“I would like that Jane. Thank you,” she says, and she's smiling and Jane is melting. 

 

“No problem, Maura.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so some people wanted me to continue this...idk how long it's going to be, but I don't think it'll be very long. Maybe another 2 chapters. Enjoy!

Of course the day she decides to teach Maura how to swim is the day that everyone decides they want to be at the pool right as it opens. Being a community pool, with a very small community and lots of attendance rules, the number of people at the pool at any given time is usually less than 10. Today, however, there are twenty five people tanning and swimming before the clock even reads 11. Jane is not too thrilled, but the sight of Maura walking through the front gates gets her heart racing just a little bit faster.

 

She is wearing a giant t-shirt that makes the shape of her legs look even more muscular than they did before. Her blonde hair falls in soft waves over her shoulders and she looks impossibly small and adorable from Jane’s guard stand. Maura catches her eye and waves as she walks up to the guard stand to greet her.

 

“Hi. So...you said there was a protocol last time?” she says.

 

Jane nods. “Yep, just sign in on that sheet right there, and I’ll take your pool pass.”

 

Jane can see that she already has the pass in her hand, determined to follow all the rules this time around to discourage Jane from yelling at her. She hands the card over with a happy grin, as if she is proud of herself for listening to Jane. She signs in on the paper quickly, then looks up at Jane expectantly.

 

Jane sighs. “It’s kind of busy here, do you think you can wait an hour for some people to clear out? I’ll buy you an ice cream or a popsicle, if you want while you wait.”

 

Maura makes a face and Jane has to stop herself from laughing. “I don’t eat...ice cream.”

 

“Of course you don’t. How about a water?”

 

“That would be lovely, thank you, Jane.”

 

Jane chuckles as she gets down from the stand and heads to the back room. “No problem.”

 

Eventually an hour goes by and the crowd only lessens by three or four people. Jane is starting to feel restless and guilty as Maura sits off to the side, but she can tell that Maura doesn’t mind. She has a giant book open in her lap and has been meticulously highlighting lines and flipping through the pages for the last hour. She still looks flawless in that giant shirt and Jane wonders how she isn’t soaked with sweat like Jane is in her stand. She wonders if she’s wearing the same bikini from before. _This is ridiculous,_ Jane thinks, and gets down off her stand.

 

She can feel all eyes on her as she slips the strap of her tube over her shoulder, tucking the tube under her arm as she slides gracefully into the pool. Her boss had told her multiple times in the past that she really shouldn’t get in the water with a lot of people there, unless it was absolutely necessary, and she had stuck to that rule until now, which is probably why everyone is watching her. It’s out of the ordinary, a rare sight, a lifeguard in it’s unnatural habitat and encroaching on their territory. The children stop what they are doing momentarily to watch her and parents look up from their phones or books to check and make sure their kid isn’t the one who is drowning, like they suddenly care. She tries to ignore all of them and make her way over to where Maura is sitting, who is the only one not judging Jane with her eyes. She goes to turn one of the pages in her giant book and looks up at the pool, noticing Jane standing right in front of her.

 

“Oh, hi,” she says, and smiles, “Are we starting?”

 

Jane nods. “The crowd isn’t going to die down, and I hate making you sit here and wait.”

 

“That’s okay, Jane,” she says, standing up and walking towards the edge, “I don’t mind.”

 

She stops a foot away from the water and a weird look of apprehension crosses her face. She notices that all eyes seem to be on her and Jane and she’s starting to get stage fright. Jane clears her throat and Maura focuses back on her and her vibrant brown eyes glittering in the sunlight. Jane is smiling at her and she can’t help but smile back.

 

“Are you...wearing that in the water?” she asks, pointing at Maura’s shirt.

 

Maura takes another quick look around, hyper aware of every man staring at her body right now.

 

“I, uh… I wanted to make sure I was covered incase anything...falls out,” she says, and Jane can just barely hear her.

 

She moves closer to the wall and holds out her hand for Maura. Maura takes it reluctantly, letting Jane guide her to sit on the wall, giving them more privacy in their conversation. Jane’s hands are surprisingly soft, although Maura isn’t sure why she would think otherwise.

 

“You don’t want to be wearing that t-shirt, it’s going to drag you down. Plus, I don’t think we will be doing any rigorous activity that will cause any wardrobe malfunctions,” Jane says, and her voice is so gentle. Maura finds herself trusting this woman that she’s only known for less than a day, her eyes so honest and beautiful.

 

“Are you sure?” she asks, but she already knows she’s going to do what Jane says.

 

“Yes.”

 

She takes one last look around the pool and tries to ignore the lingering eyes, but she notices that most of the people have gone about their business and are no longer looking at her or Jane. She reaches for the hem of her shirt and pulls it off over her head, throwing it back in the direction of her previously vacated chair. Jane feels a gasp bubbling up in her throat, but she catches it and pushes it back down before she can even make the slightest noise. This bathing suit is just as small as the one before, if not smaller, and Jane can’t help but feel blessed in the presence of such a beautiful girl. She lets herself stare at Maura’s stomach for a few seconds before forcing herself to meet Maura’s eyes again. She offers Maura a wet hand, watches Maura contemplate the consequences, before she finally takes her hand and slides into the water.

 

“Alright, you can stand here,” Jane says, unnecessarily. Maura doesn't seem to realize how dumb Jane sounds, just nodding and pressing her feet gently into the pool floor.

 

“Okay, so the first thing we are going to do is teach you how to float,” Jane says, trying not to stare at Maura’s toned body.

 

Maura's eyebrows knit together. “How is that relevant?”

 

“It's the basis for all swimming. It teaches you how to keep your body above the water.”

 

Maura nods. “Okay.”

 

“I want you to lay back, put your ears in the water,” Jane says and watches as Maura does so, “yeah, like that.”

 

Jane moves to support her body, one hand under the small of her back, the other between her shoulder blades. The water makes Maura light in her arms, but something tells Jane that she probably isn't any heavier out of the water. Jane wonders what it would be like to carry her like this, or what it would feel like to have her weight on her back. She shakes her head, ridding herself of the inappropriate thoughts.

 

“Now, I want you to fill your stomach up with air, and push it up so it's out of the water,” Jane says.

 

“That sounds highly unflattering,” Maura mutters.

 

Jane chuckles. “You know what's really unflattering? Drowning.”

 

“Fair point,” she smiles, and takes a deep breath and does as Jane says.

 

“Good, that's good! Okay, now I'm going to take my hands away--”

 

“What?! No! Jane--”

 

“Maura, it's not floating if I'm supporting you.”

 

“But what if I drown?” She’s clearly panicking.

 

“Maura, I'm right here! And you panicking isn't going to help either,” Jane says sternly, but there is still a smile on her face, “but I won't let you go until you want me to.”

 

“Just...give me a few more minutes,” Maura says, and she frowns in concentration, her eyes closed tight.

 

Jane watches her for a few seconds in anticipation, sees her take deep breath after deep breath with her stomach constantly staying above the water. Jane can see that she's floating perfectly fine, she probably never needed her support in the first place, but Jane refuses to betray her trust and let go. The silence is killing her.

 

“How old are you, Maura?” she asks suddenly.

Without opening her eyes, Maura responds, “Twenty-two. Why?”

 

Jane shrugs as much as she can with her hands being preoccupied.

 

“Just curious how someone my age could possibly not know how to swim, at all,” she says.

 

“Well, that's only because you're a lifeguard.”

 

“Mmmm, no. Even if I wasn't a lifeguard, I would still question it,” she chuckles.

 

Maura shrugs. “My parents never taught me.”

 

“Swimming lessons are a thing, that's the only way my mother got me out of her hair.”

 

“I guess they never really considered it,” Maura says, and the tone of her voice seems melancholy.  

 

Jane is curious to know more, but knows that it probably isn't a good idea to pry. Obviously, something is up with her parents or her family. Who wouldn't want to teach their kid how to swim?

 

Eventually, enough time goes by that Jane starts to get impatient, and if she weren't in the water, she would probably tap her foot to get the point across.

 

“I can feel you fidgeting, Jane, and it's ruining my concentration,” Maura says.

 

“It's just floating, how much concentration do you need?”

 

Maura sighs. “Fine. Let go, Jane.”

 

“A-are you sure? I didn't want to rush you--”

 

Maura glares at her and Jane presses her lips together as she nods.

 

“Okay, got it. I'm letting go now.”

 

She moves her hands out from under Maura but still stays in reaching distance in case she starts to sink so she can guide her back to position. However, as predicted, Jane doesn't need to help her, she stays up for at least a minute on her own and Maura smiles.

 

“Am I doing it right?” She asks.

 

“You know perfectly well you're doing it right,” Jane says, suspiciously.

 

“I know,” she grins, “I told you I just needed a few minutes.”

 

“Okay but, no one learns how to float that fast.”

 

“You’re a good instructor,” Maura says, and drops her feet to the ground to stand.

 

Jane squints at Maura as she just smiles and says, “What’s next?”

 

“Are you fucking with me?”

 

The smile on Maura’s face falls and Jane immediately wishes she could suck the words back down her throat.

 

“What?”

 

The look on her face is one of shock and disappointment. A solid minute goes by as they stare at each other, Jane feeling guilty as Maura's face morphs into a look of anger.

 

“Never mind,” she says, shaking her head, but she knows it's not enough.

 

“You think me almost drowning the other day was some clever ploy to get you to teach me how to swim?”

 

“Maura, forget I said any--”

 

“Trust me, if I wanted to spend time with you, I would come up with something better than this,” she huffs, and turns to pull herself out of the pool.

 

The comment hurts more than Jane thought it would, suddenly realizing her place. She was basically a servant for these people, just another maid or housekeeper they pay to clean and serve and stay quiet. It doesn't matter how kind they are to her when they sign in, she will never be more than that. She can see it in the way they stare when she gets in the water on an extremely hot day, the way they stare when she takes her lunch break, as if they didn't expect her to need sustenance. As if she is less than them. She had hoped that Maura was different.

 

She tucks her chin down, dejected, and takes her tube as she swims back to the other side of the pool. She wishes she could leave, let Maura have the pool since it's her territory anyway, but she knows she can't. She pulls herself out of the water and climbs back into her stand, pulling on sunglasses to hide her unexpected tears. She can see everyone looking at her, curious what just happened between them, and just stares at an empty spot in the pool. They are like vultures, feeding on her sadness.

 

She's not sure how long she sits there, staring into space and trying to subtly wipe her eyes, but when she comes back to herself, half the people that were there are gone. It makes her feel slightly better to know that less people are in danger because of her emotions, but she still wishes they would all just leave her alone. She looks around the deck to familiarize herself with who is still there, and for the first time she notices that Maura is still there. She’s wrapped up in a towel, staring at the water in concentration, her hair halfway between dry and wet.

 

She looks around for a second, before getting up and walking around the pool to go talk to Maura. Though she is embarrassed that she probably saw her crying, she knows that she needs to apologize for implying something rude. As she is halfway to Maura, she turns her head and watches Jane walk towards her, an odd look in her eye. Jane avoids her gaze as she walks up to her.

 

“I...I'm sorry for what I said,” Jane says, her head hung low, “I didn't actually mean it.”

 

She can feel Maura’s eyes on her and it makes her feel warmer than normal, but she keeps her eyes down.

 

“You've been crying,” Maura blurts out softly.

 

Jane looks up at that, and is surprised by what she sees. The look in her eye is something like sadness and concern, but Jane wonders why.

 

“I guess,” she responds. She finds that she doesn't want to lie to her, although she's not sure why.

 

Maura tilts her head to the side and scrutinizes Jane for a second. “Was it something I said?”

 

Jane shrugs. She knows that she was the one in the wrong, she doesn't need an apology from Maura.

 

“I just wanted to apologize. I'll see you around,” she says, and turns to leave.

 

“Jane, wait,” she calls.

 

She feels her soft fingers on her wrist, stopping her progress. She doesn't turn, so Maura walks around her so they are face to face, trying to stare into Jane's eyes through her glasses. She doesn't let go of her wrist, and Jane wonders if she can feel her pulse speed up.

 

“If I say I forgive you, will you tell me what I said to make you cry? I wasn't planning on leaving, I just needed to cool off, I didn't mean to make you cry…”

 

Now she looks and sounds like she's going to cry and Jesus, Jane has made her cry twice now, she can't stand to see her sad.

 

“Don't cry, Maura, it's okay…”

 

“No, Jane, it's not. I like being with you, I don't want you to be upset because of something I said without thinking,” she sniffs, “I didn't mean it.”

 

“I know, it's okay.”

 

“Can we just...forget this happened and get back in the water?” Maura asks through her tears.

 

Jane can’t help but smile and she hopes it makes Maura feel just a little bit better to know Jane isn't upset. While she hates seeing Maura sad, she also can't help but notice that she's beautiful even when she cries.

 

“Yeah, Maura. Let's get back to work,” she says.

 

Maura makes a small, watery laugh. “Okay.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One time, at work, I watched this little kid wrap both his hands around his little brother's neck from behind and throw him into the water...by his neck!! You see some crazy shit when you work at a pool, trust me. 1 more chapter to go after this one. Enjoy :)

They decide to meet every Friday for the rest of the summer. Jane makes sure she's on duty every Friday, and Maura is always there as soon as she opens, chatting happily about something she read or saw as Jane goes through her opening duties. Jane finds herself looking forward to the days when Maura leans in the doorway of the bathroom as she cleans the floors, listening to her soft voice reverberate off the walls. It feels like they have actually become friends. 

 

It's a Wednesday and Jane is staring out at the two kids in the water when that soft voice calls her name. She turns and almost does a double take, because Maura is signing herself in. 

 

“Hey, what are you doing here? It's not Friday,” Jane says, smiling. 

 

Maura looks up at her, then quickly looks behind her, as if looking for someone, before meeting her eyes again. 

 

“I brought a guest that wanted to swim, I hope that's okay?” She says. 

 

“Yeah, that's fine, I'm just surprised you're here.”

 

Maura scowls slightly and Jane tilts her head questioningly. 

 

“He insisted,” she says, and a boy walks up behind her. 

 

He has floppy brown hair and a pompous attitude that Jane sees immediately. He is what every other resident is like in this apartment complex, what Jane expects from the residents here, but how the hell is he with Maura? He can't possibly be with Maura.

 

“Garrett, this is Jane. Jane, Garrett,” Maura introduces him. His name fits him, snobby like his stance. 

 

He gives Jane a quick smile before turning back to Maura. 

 

“Hey. Maura, where do you want to sit?”

 

“Uh…” Maura looks around the deck, and then points to her regular chairs, “There is fine.”

 

He walks away then, not a single word to either woman as he struts across the deck. He is nothing like Maura and suddenly Jane is so glad for the person that has become her new friend.

 

“Well, he seems nice,” Jane mutters.

 

“I'm sorry, sometimes he can be…”

 

“Arrogant?” Jane says, and smiles a little.

 

“I was going to say single minded, but that works too,” Maura grins.

 

Jane shakes her head. “It's okay.”

 

“So, listen, I was thinking, on Friday--”

 

“Maura! Are you coming or not?”

 

Maura sighs and closes her eyes in resignation. Jane tries and fails to hold in a scoff as Maura shakes her head and turns to follow him. 

 

“Bye, Jane.”

 

Jane just laughs and watches her walk to her seat before looking back at the kids. From the corner of her eye she can see them talking and she feels a stab of pain when she notices Maura laugh at something he said. He gives her a big grin before walking to the edge of the deep end and jumping in. The waves cascade throughout the pool and somehow the water splashes on to Jane. He doesn't notice or care, but Maura makes an indignant face. 

 

“Garrett!”

 

“What?”

 

“Be careful where you jump, some people don't like to be splashed,” she says, walking towards the edge of the pool. Some how, Maura reprimanding him like a child makes Jane feel happy.

 

Jane turns her head in Maura’s direction, deciding the kids in the shallow end are of no danger to themselves and focuses on Maura. This is the first time all summer that Maura has even gotten anywhere near the 10 foot area since the first day. She's curious, and slightly nervous, gripping her tube tighter in preparation for immediate action. However, Jane relaxes when she sees Maura stop a foot away from the edge, but just a little bit. She is still too close to danger for her liking, warning signals blaring in her head. 

 

“Kinda ridiculous there’s no diving over here,” Jane hears Garrett say. 

 

Maura just shakes her head. “Those are the rules.”

 

Jane finds herself smiling at the blonde’s comment. It's so childlike and adorable, and it makes her want to wrap Maura up in her towel and set her on her lap. She shakes her head to get rid of the imagery. 

 

“You gonna get in?” Garrett asks.

 

“Yes, I'm going to use the stairs,” Maura says, “Come join me.”

 

“Maura, come on, just jump in, it won't be as cold if you just jump in.”

 

_ Temperature isn't the problem, buddy, _ Jane thinks to herself. She wonders why Maura didn't tell him she couldn't swim, it feels like crucial information for a pool outing. 

 

“I would rather use the stairs,” Maura says and turns to go. 

 

Jane can almost see it happening before he reaches out for her, like maybe she's psychic, but she probably just understands shitty boys better than she should. Garrett’s fingers wrap around Maura's ankle and his arm pulls back, bringing Maura with it. Her body slams down on the pool deck and Jane gasps involuntarily as she sees Maura’s head connect with the ground. She's out of her chair before Maura even hits the water, jumping in after her as Maura slides head first towards the bottom. Jane dives down just as Maura rights herself, wrapping her arm around her breasts and pulling on the string of the tube until they break the surface. Maura let's out a giant gasp and grabs for the tube as Jane pulls her towards the stairs. 

 

“Oh my god, Maura, are you okay?” Garrett asks, following behind them. 

 

“Im--”

 

“What do you think, asshole? You almost drowned her!” Jane yells before Maura can answer.

 

With amazing strength, Jane pushes Maura up onto the pool deck, her legs still dangling in the water as she sits on the edge, then pulls herself out. 

 

“Are you okay? Did you hit your head?” Jane asks, lightly running her fingers through Maura's hair to feel her scalp. She's so glad Maura is safe, and she's glad she was watching to make sure. 

 

Maura nods just a little bit, and Jane has to fight everything instinct inside of her telling her to punch Garrett in the face as he swims over and treds between Maura’s legs. 

 

“Yes to both?” Jane asks. 

 

“Jane, I'm fine--”

 

“You might have a concussion. Do you want me to call an ambulance?”

 

“No, Jane...but you're probably right.”

 

“I can take her to the ER,” Garrett says, and Jane almost yells at him to shut up. 

 

“Yeah, you should--”

 

“No, I don't need the ER, I already know I have a concussion, there is nothing they will be able to do,” Maura says, but she's talking slowly, like she can't get all the words to her tongue. 

 

“Let me give you a ride home,” Jane says.

 

“No, she drove here, I can just drive her back. That's what boyfriends are for, right?” Garrett says, with a small smile.

 

Jane’s heart starts to ache unexpectedly. She's not sure why she never considered Garrett as someone other than a friend to Maura, but she realizes it was obvious. I mean, who else would insist they go to a pool and pull someone in the water by their leg but a shitty boyfriend.

 

“Yeah, I guess,” Jane mutters.

 

“Stay here, Maura, I'll get our stuff.”

 

“Jane?” Maura’s voice is so soft.

 

“Yeah?” She responds, leaning over to grab Maura’s arm. She pulls her up to a standing position, where she wobbles a bit before Jane stabilizes her, and Garrett makes his way out of the pool. 

 

“I’m sorry,” she says.

 

Jane heart breaks a little bit. “What for?”

 

“This is the second time you've had to save me,” she says, sadly. 

 

“Oh, Maura, it's not your fault. You don't have to apologize,” Jane coos.

 

“I don't think I'll be able to make it on Friday,” Maura says, and she gives Jane a little pout. 

 

Chuckling, Jane says, “Yeah, I figured that, but don't worry, I won't charge you extra for missing a day.”

 

“But...I haven't been paying you,” Maura says, and she sounds genuinely confused. 

 

“I'm kidding, Maura,” she says kindly. 

 

“Oh.”

 

Jane rubs her arm gently up and down Maura’s arms, trying to warm her shivering body as Garrett takes his sweet time gathering their things. She’s starting to shake, almost violently, so Jane grabs her towel from her chair and wraps it around Maura's shoulders. Maura looks at it for a second, as if she's not sure how it got there, before locking eyes with Jane. 

 

“Thank you,” she says.

 

“No problem.”

 

Maura bites her lip, which doesn't go unnoticed by Jane, and says, “I'm sad I won't see you on Friday.”

 

Jane shrugs. “Well, maybe now we can do something other than swim together. I'll come check on you when I get off, or something.”

 

“Will you come by tonight?”

 

“If you want me to, yeah,” Jane says, and she's trying not to sound desperate. She wants nothing more than to take Maura home herself and take care of her to make sure nothing happens to her. She's been itching to see Maura outside of the pool area, and now is her chance.

 

“I want you to.” 

 

There is something in Maura’s eyes that is almost demanding. Like maybe Jane had a choice when she suggested it, but now she doesn't. It's almost possessive, with a hint of lust, and Jane isn't sure what to do about it. Her heart feels like it's going to beat out of her chest. 

 

Garrett comes around the pool and wraps an arm around Maura’s shoulders, and the moment is lost. Maura looks down at the ground, and Jane stares defiantly at Garrett, daring him to say something about her and Maura, but he just ignores her. Like she isn't there, and like she didn't just save Maura’s life.

 

“Come on, babe, let's go home,” he says. He guides her towards the front gate and Jane wants to run after him and scoop Maura up in her arms. She sees Maura turn her head back to look at Jane. She smiles softly.

 

“Bye, Jane.”

 

Jane blinks, but finds herself smiling back without even trying.

 

“Bye, Maura.”


	4. Chapter 4

The anxiety running through Jane's body is like nothing she's ever felt before. It's so overwhelming that she contemplates going back on her decision as she makes her way to Maura’s apartment. She's had the address written down for at least 2 weeks now, thinking maybe she would check on Maura if she happened to miss one of their meetings, but really just knowing she had it made her feel important to her. Does this make me a stalker, she wonders, then shakes her head to get rid of that thought. Thinking about that will take her into a whole new territory, one she doesn't want to go down considering what happened that afternoon.

 

She has a boyfriend. How could she possibly not have figured out that Maura had a boyfriend? She is beautiful, smart, adorable, of course she has a boyfriend, Jane's not sure why she thought otherwise. She definitely didn't expect it to be someone like that guy, though. She's actually appalled with herself when she realizes she cares more about the fact that Maura has a boyfriend than the fact that she almost died today because of him. What an asshole, he doesn't deserve her.

 

It's these thoughts going through her mind that accompany her as she makes her way up the stairs and towards Maura’s apartment number. The community is relatively small, but there are still enough units to cause her to almost lose her way. She had to circle the neighborhood twice before finding the right building. She looks along the walls at all the numbers before finally landing on Maura’s and stepping up to the door. There is nothing special or different about this door, it looks the same as all the others, stark white, but her heart races all the same. She knocks, lightly at first, before wondering how big the apartment is and if her knock can be heard from anywhere inside it. She knocks a bit harder before stopping and waiting. 

 

Before more intrusive, anxiety riddled thoughts can over take her mind, the door swings open, and Maura stands on the other side. Her face breaks into a smile when she sees that it's Jane, and Jane has the overwhelming urge to wrap her in her arms and never let go. 

 

“Hi, Jane,” she greets, softly.

 

“Hi,” Jane responds, uncharacteristically shy.

 

“Come in,” Maura says, and steps to the side to allow Jane entrance. 

 

The apartment is nice by normal standards, but because Jane grew up poor, it's positively extravagant by her standards. The walls are painted a sea foam green, reminding her of the ocean, and all the furniture is so white that Jane wonders if she even uses it at all. 

 

“This is beautiful,” Jane says. 

 

“Thank you,” Maura’s smile gets even bigger somehow, “Would you like something to drink?”

 

“Ah, no, that's okay. Shouldn't you be resting? I was expecting Garrett to be waiting on you hand and foot,” Jane jokes. 

 

Maura moves towards the kitchen anyway, opening the fridge and pulling out two water bottles. Jane has to physically turn away to stop herself from staring at her ass as she bends over a bit, and she almost misses Maura’s reply.

 

“He left a while ago. I guess his pride is more important than my well being.”

 

Jane’s eyebrows knit together, puzzled by her choice of words. For a minute she thinks she’ll let it go, but the phrase was worded so carefully that Jane knows Maura wants her to ask about it. 

 

“What do you mean?” She asks.

 

Maura walks towards her, hands her one of the bottles, and then laces her fingers with Jane’s free hand. She is biting her lip and avoiding Jane’s gaze as she pulls Jane over to one of the pristine couches. 

 

“I broke up with him,” she says, finally. 

 

Jane sits down harder on the couch than she intended to and almost chokes. Her heart seems to have stopped, and Jane realizes she was wrong before.  _ This _ anxiety is more than any she's felt before. Her default in situations like this is to make a joke, but she feels like this is serious and she shouldn't.

 

“I would break up with him too after what happened today,” she jokes, and mentally scolds herself. 

 

Maura laughs and Jane is proud of herself, but it doesn't make her heart slow down any less. 

 

“There were other reasons as well… I was going to break up with him today when he came over anyway. He insisted on going to the pool before I could bring it up,” Maura says.

 

She's not sure if it's a side effect of the concussion or something like that, but Jane can feel Maura’s eyes on her lips, staring at them almost without thinking. She wonders what Maura would do if she leaned and pressed their lips together. She hopes Maura wouldn't reject her, but she also knows she's not going to even try, just in case. Again, Maura’s wording is specific, just specific enough to manipulate Jane into asking the question Maura clearly wants to answer. 

 

“Other reasons?” Jane asks. 

 

“Mmhm.”

 

“Like what?”

 

At this, Maura’s eyes flick up to Jane's, those beautiful hazel eyes almost drawn by a string to Jane's brown ones. She smiles softly as she bites down on her bottom lip again and Jane thinks this will be the death of her. 

 

“I didn't think it was fair to keep dating him when I have feelings for someone else,” Maura murmurs, and then her eyes go right back to Jane’s lips.

 

“Ah, another man in the picture,” Jane jokes unconsciously. She hopes in the back of her mind that Maura will correct her, and then…

 

“Woman, Jane,” Maura says, “ A woman I've been spending a lot of my summer with... A woman who has saved my life, twice now… A woman, I hope, agrees to be my girlfriend some day.”

 

Jane swallows thickly, the eye contact is getting to be too much. With each sentence Maura had leaned closer and closer, and now their faces are only centimeters apart. She can feel desire pooling in her swimsuit, and she's not sure how much more she can take. 

 

“Some day? Why not right now?” Jane asks, and it's another joke but there is a seriousness behind it.

 

Maura squints and tries to hold back her amused smile. “I think she and I would agree that it's probably a little too soon for that...maybe next week.”

 

Jane grins. “Okay.”

 

Maura sighs happily and squeezes Jane’s hand, taking Jane’s response as reciprocation of her feelings. She has only now realized that Maura never let it go in the first place. 

 

“Can I kiss you, Jane?” She whispers.

 

Jane only nods briefly before Maura is leaning forward to press her lips against Jane’s waiting ones. They both sigh, seemingly with relief, as the tension between them gets slightly dissipated. They kiss slowly, taking every taste and feeling in before breaking apart. 

 

“How is your head?” Jane asks, and is surprised when Maura laughs in response. “What's so funny?”

 

“Nothing! It's fine. I never really thanked you for saving me,” Maura says, and she uses one finger to stroke Jane’s cheek. 

 

“You don't have to thank me,” Jane says, “It’s my job...but also, I would never let you drown on my watch.”

 

Maura makes a small whimper and kisses Jane on the nose.

 

“How are you so gorgeous? And sweet?”

 

Jane shrugs. “I dunno, born that way I guess.”

 

Maura laughs and moves in to kiss Jane again, leaning her back on the couch. For the rest of the night, she shows her how thankful she is for Jane, and her life, over and over again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this little story inspired by my job, lol. I am working on a really big Rizzles fic that requires rewatching the entire show in detail, so I may not post anything else for a while. Be on the look out for this tho, I think you all will enjoy it! Thank you for reading :)

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure if this is just a oneshot or not, there might be something cooking in this old brain. Also, I am a lifeguard so I have lots of inspiration on the daily lol. Thanks for reading!


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